Photo Credit: American Heart AssociationEvents
First Community Credit Union executive to lead 2026 Heart Walk and citywide push for CPR readiness
According to the American Heart Association, 9 in 10 people who suffer cardiac arrest outside of the hospital die, and more than half don’t receive bystander CPR. CPR — especially if performed immediately — can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. To help improve cardiac arrest outcomes in Northwest Harris County, Lee Strickhouser, senior vice president of consumer lending at First Community Credit Union, will chair the 2026 Northwest Harris County Heart Walk, leading a year-round effort to rally companies and community members to raise critical funds and expand CPR education.
Heart Walk is the largest community-facing initiative of the American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere. Through fundraising, community education and corporate engagement, Heart Walk aims to make CPR education and training more accessible, fund vital research and drive equitable health for all.
Under Strickhouser’s leadership, top executives in Northwest Harris County will work to recruit other organizations to join the local Heart Walk campaign and help build a community of lifesavers.
Strickhouser’s involvement with the Northwest Harris County Heart Walk is deeply personal. Having watched his father undergo two aortic valve replacement surgeries due to a genetic heart condition, he understands firsthand the importance of continued investment in cardiovascular research and advances that help people live longer, healthier lives.
“I believe in the mission and work that the American Heart Association is doing in our communities. Unfortunately, because cardiovascular disease touches so many lives, just about everyone has a story about someone they know who has faced a heart health challenge,” Strickhouser said. “There is no better cause to support than one that impacts every community, every organization, and every family. It’s important to work together to help those we care about become healthier and have the knowledge to save lives through action or awareness.”
According to the Heart Association’s 2024 CPR Perceptions Survey, 39% of people — or approximately 103 million U.S. adults — now feel “extremely confident” or “very confident” they could correctly perform CPR, up from 33% in 2021. That’s roughly 17.7 million more adults who are highly confident in their ability to conduct CPR, yet 61% still lack high confidence to act in a cardiac emergency.
“While we’re extremely proud of the progress that’s been made over the last several years, our work is far from over,” said TJ Tijerina Gulf Coast board chairperson and chief executive officer of First Community Credit Union. “Lee’s commitment to making Northwest Harris County a safer, stronger community is proof he’s the right person for the role. We’re looking forward to seeing incredible results from this year’s Heart Walk campaign and hope the community will join us in making it a success.”
The Heart Association is a global leader in resuscitation science, education and training, and the official publisher of CPR guidelines. Through the Nation of Lifesavers™ movement, the Association is working to ensure that more people are ready to perform CPR and be a vital link in the chain of survival, supporting its goal of doubling the survival rate from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests by 2030.
The Northwest Harris County Heart Walk will take place on October 17, 2026, at Lone Star College-University Park. Nearly a thousand participants are expected to walk in celebration of local survivors and the lifesaving progress made in Northwest Harris County. Companies interested in participating can contact local Heart Walk Director Christina Eldridge at christina.eldridge@heart.org. Learn more and register at nwhcheartwalk.org.
Source: American Heart Association
